Florida voters are dead-set against a series of recommendations made by state officials regarding
education, with the largest opposition, 71 - 7 percent, against a plan to set different achievement
goals for students of different races, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Registered voters also strongly oppose, 66 - 26 percent, charging lower tuition to college
students who major in subjects such as math, science, engineering and computers that lead to
higher-paying jobs, and higher tuition for liberal arts majors, considered less employable, the
independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

Voters also oppose, 73 - 16 percent, the idea of allowing some public universities dubbed
as "preeminent" to charge higher tuition that other state colleges.

Turning to public employee pensions, voters say 53 - 34 percent that it's a good idea to
make new state employees participate in a 401-k type retirement plan rather than the defined-
benefit plan offered to current state workers.

"Voters, with little difference along political, racial or gender lines, find setting different
goals for different races to be distasteful," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"The data from this survey finds that voters like the idea of treating all students and
colleges the same."

They are also quite skeptical of Gov. Rick Scott's challenge to the state's colleges and
universities to offer some four-year degrees for a total of $10,000. Only 29 percent think it is
very or somewhat likely to occur, while 66 percent say it is not very likely or not likely at all to
materialize.

Interestingly, while voters seem strongly behind the idea of treating all schools and
students equally, when it comes to education, they have a different view about state workers.

The majority who like the idea of creating a two-tiered retirement system for state
workers shows little difference by gender, with 55 percent of men and 52 percent of women
thinking it is a good idea. But the political divisions are wider: Support is 69 - 20 percent
among Republicans and 52 - 36 percent among independent voters, while Democrats are
opposed 46 - 40 percent. Voters in union households are opposed 57 - 34 percent.
Same-Sex Marriage

Florida voters are changing their minds about same-sex marriage. They opposed this idea
50 - 40 percent in a May 23 Quinnipiac University poll. Today, voters are divided with 43
percent in favor and 45 percent opposed. Men are opposed 48 - 40 percent while women are
divided with 45 percent supporting same-sex marriage and 43 percent opposed.

Floridians are less supportive of legalizing personal use of marijuana than the rest of the
country. A bare majority of voters, 51 - 44 percent, told a recent Quinnipiac University national
poll it supported the idea. But Florida voters oppose it 52 - 42 percent.

From December 11 - 17, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,261 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia
and the nation as a public service and for research.

For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

25. Many state employees belong to retirement plans that pay set benefits based on peak earnings and years of employment. Some Florida lawmakers want new state employees to instead receive a 401k-like plan, that pays benefits based on investment earnings the way many retirement plans in the private sector do. Do you think that changing the state employee retirement plan for new employees to a 401k-like investment plan is a good idea or a bad idea?

27. Do you support or oppose allowing colleges and universities to charge more for degrees considered less employable like liberal arts and charge less for degrees considered more employable like science, technology, engineering and math?

29. Governor Rick Scott has challenged Florida colleges to offer some of their four-year degree programs for ten thousand dollars. How likely do you think it is that Florida colleges will be able to offer four-year degree programs for ten thousand dollars? Do you think it is very likely, somewhat likely, not very likely or not likely at all?

30. To cut the achievement gap in Florida's public schools, the Board of Education has set different goals for different racial and ethnic groups. Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea, or don't you have an opinion about that?